FOREIGN POLICY

Iran's foreign policy was dramatically reversed following the
Revolution. After World War II, Iranian leaders considered their country
to be part of the Western alliance system. They actively cultivated
relations with the United States, both as a means of protecting their
country from perceived political pressures emanating from the Soviet
Union and as a matter of genuine ideological conviction.

The Revolution, which was laden with anti-American rhetoric, brought
new leaders to power who disapproved of Iran's relationship with the
United States. The new leaders were convinced that Washington had tried
to maintain the shah in power, despite the mass demonstrations calling
for his downfall, and were deeply suspicious of American intentions
toward their Revolution. These leaders believed that the United States
was plotting to restore the shah to power and were unresponsive to
persistent efforts by American diplomats to persuade them that the
United States had no ill intentions toward the new regime.

The more radical revolutionaries were determined to eradicate all
traces of American influence from Iran. Fearing that the provisional
government was seeking an accommodation with the United States, some of
these radicals precipitated the seizure of the American embassy in
November 1979. Subsequently, they exploited the protracted hostage
crisis between Tehran and Washington to achieve their objective of
terminating normal relations with the United States. The severing of
ties with the United States was regarded not only as essential for
expunging American influence from the country but also was considered a
prerequisite for implementing their revolutionary foreign policy
ideology. This new ideology consisted of two concepts: export of
revolution and independence from both the East and the West. By the time
the hostage crisis was finally resolved in January 1981, these ideas
were embraced by the entire political elite.